Moral Compasses

[Eteri]

Corone.

It was good to be back on my home continent, no more Salvar, no more frigid wastelands, no more freaky ass people with black souls, no more warehouses filled with bloodied bodies and most of all, no more snow. Fuck snow. Thankfully right now, was the near opposite of that watery, icy crap.

It was a warm, sunny day in Corone, high noon if I was not mistaken. I welcomed the feeling of the sun against the back of my neck, and my bare arms and legs. "Mmmm~" I gave a low, satisfied purr as I stretched my arms high over my head and arched my back, yawning. Being in the sun always made me sleepy.

Sure...I had to go to Radasanth, and I did have to go find someone from the Ixian Knights to hand over the patch of clothing tucked safely away in my shoulder bag, but... I didn't specify that I'd run toward the place. I was close, and close was good enough. Right? I feebly covered my mouth as I yawned. The warmth made me sleepy, my azure ears pressed back against my head as I glanced lazily to and fro, seeing if there were any nearby places suitable for a catnap.

"Well that's no good, no good at all." I muttered to myself, seeing nothing. I don't know what I expected to see, I was on the outskirts of Radasanth. There was nothing more than a road, a few tufts of grass, and an uninteresting figure looming in the distance, and I couldn't very well sleep on top of a stranger now could I?

...well, it wouldn't be the first time, but that person was unconscious, and made for a very poor pillow. Still, it was better than a rock, or the middle of the road.

"Hoiiiii~" I called out, unsure if the distant figure could hear me, especially with my poor tradespeak. "You person!? You make good pillow for Eteri?"

It was worth a shot, right?

[Venex Apara]

Ven, unsurprisingly to anyone who knew him, was idly standing around the outskirts of Radasanth. He wasn't really paying attention to much, rather he was lost in his thoughts. He had only arrived a few hours earlier, and he had no idea what to do.

This wasn't his first visit to Radasanth, nor would it be his last. He enjoyed this city far too much, and it was one of his favorite places to be in. Radasanth was probably the most diverse city in the world, at least to his knowledge.
Everyday was a new experience, everyday was a new adventure. So many faces, so many opportunities! Getting bored here was a challenge.

If he wasn't so much of a drifter, he'd probably move here permanently.

But that brings us back to the now. He was thinking about working as a bartender once more. Bartending was a job he enjoyed because he got to talk to many people, and sometimes the pay was actually decent. The problem was finding someone who'd hire him for the short period of time.

Was it possible to work where he worked last time? He'd need to find out. But what if-

"Hoi~ You person!? You make good pillow for Eteri?" Called a voice.

Ven's train of thought was was broken by this. He turned his head to try find the source of the noise. Scanning, his eyes fell on Eteri, though maybe that could have been a result of how unique she looked. Regardless, he knew it was her that called to him, for she was staring directly at him.

Ven blinked. And blinked again. He try to process her question, strange as it was.

...

Yeah, he was confused.

Not feeling like yelling his response back, he walked towards the strange person he saw before him.

He smiled in a way that showed his honest interest and curiosity. "You called to me yes? I heard your question, but was confused. Could you repeat it?"

[Eteri]

The man approached me, tufts of white hair shifting mischievously in the breeze. I know, I know, how can hair move about 'mischievously' - I guess it was the way his lips were turned upward in a lopsided smile, or it was the glint in his eyes, the playful gait of his walk...even his lavish and outlandish attire, his deep blue tailcoat screamed either royalty, or madman. Regardless, he extruded a impish aura.

Speaking of...

I returned his grin with one of my own, showing pointed canines as I blinked yellowed eyes, pupils dilating into slits as I decided to peer deeper, to look at his very soul. It wasn't entirely uninteresting, but it wasn't anything like Taka's, it was a mishmash of garishly bright colour; pinks, purples, blues, and touches of red. People who did questionable things always were tinged with red. His soul grinned back at her with a wide smile, eyes glowing in sheer delight. I had to rub my eyes. It was chaos, definitely not useful, sure it'd get a few gold coins in the black market, but I was looking to stitch together my own soul - and if I used this thing, I'd go mad. I mumbled something in Akashimian; <"Damn loud souls...">

I shook it off, sneering him. "Wanted you, pillow, but not much tired now." I said in broken Tradespeak as I slowly circled him, tail flicking side to side with an insatiable curiosity. The man was such an oddity, but then again, I wasn't exactly one to talk. My own attire left little to the imagination and was a bastardisation of traditional Akashimian garb.

I stopped in front of him, placing a clawed finger on the mid of his chest. Funnily enough, his presence drew away the lethargy that wracked my body moments before, it was difficult to be tired when I had something new to fixate on. "You like fun?" I asked. If I had to go take care of Taka's problem, the least I could do was have some fun beforehand.

"Or food?" I added.

[Venex Apara]

When Ven was able to properly get a look at Eteri, his immediate thought was Blue. And not Blue in the sense that he was blue. If you looked at him, you would think "Wow, that guy likes blue". Eteri on the other hand, was blue. Everything about her was just that color, and for whatever reason, her out blue-ing him was amusing.

He didn't speak as she circled him, and he made no motion to stop her. She was interesting, and interesting is what he liked. Stopping her would ruin the fun, and he was not about to give that up. She eventually mumbled something, which he didn't quite hear. Something about souls. His smile grew wider. Very interesting.

He waited till she finished speaking before continuing himself, figuring it the most polite. He glanced at her one finger on his chest, then moved his eyes up her arm, and then finally to her yellow eyes. A small chuckle escaped his throat.

"You got a strange way of speaking Miss, and your accent is quite unique. As for your questions," he began, thinking of answers, "For one, I don't think I would make a very good pillow. Though I wouldn't know if I'd make a good pillow or not, never had anyone use me for one. I have been used as a source of warmth though. That was my youngest sister, she used to climb into bed with me if when she had a nightmare. Cutie pie she that one, I wonder how she is doing."

At that, he instinctively touched the pocket that held his pocket watch, his eye drifting off for a second, but only for a second before bouncing back to Eteri. "As for food, I have a few dried rations I can share. Some dried meat, not the best, but it works. As for the last thing," he said, his face somehow reflecting even more mischief and excitement, "Blue-bell, fun is what I live for."

[Eteri]

I pouted when he told me I had a weird way of speaking, I couldn't help it. Tradespeak was hard. "Stupid Tradespeak, hard words. Odd placements." I commented in short quick sentences to brush it off. To me, Tradespeak was a borish language and held none of the articulate beauty of Akashimian. If he could understand me in my natural tongue, hoo boy, I'd go from country town bumpkin to high scholar. Yep. High scholar Eteri, it has a nice ring to it.

The man seemed to move on from his statement, he started talking and my mind started wandering, mainly thinking about what 'high scholar Eteri' would do. I decided that high scholar Eteri would be boring, stuck with books in a library, or a bookshop. Who could possibly live their life surrounded by books sitting in a shop?

(Meanwhile, somewhere, a woman named Madison sneezed.)

I think he was talking about his family or something, his words sorta went in one ear and out the other, I was antsy, I teetered back and forth on my heels, as I glanced around the area before forcing myself to meet the mans eyes once more.

That's when I noticed it.

The slightest of gestures, the nuances of nostalgia in his voice. I reached out, not thinking. Granted, I rarely thought through my actions... this was another instance. I slipped a clawed hand into the pocket and pulled out a very shiny pocket watch. My eyes lit up. "OOo!"

I gave it a slight shake, "Shiny!" I beamed as I held the trinket to my ear. I could hear the faint 'tick, tick, tick' of the seconds as they passed. In my utter delight, I slipped and spoke in my native tongue. <"Oh! Delightful! It is like a little, itty, bitty, heartbeat!">

His reaction was hostile. First he swore in Tradespeak, then another language, then another and another, hell, I even heard a few Akashimian words in there. I stared blankly at him in shock as I watched the mischievous glow about him disappear as he snatched the watch away from me.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" He hissed at me as he shoved it back into his pocket, eyes glaring at me.

My ears flattened against my head. I didn't think he would be so possessive over it. "Yes. Ok. Alright." I said, giving him a good ol' pat on the shoulder. "No touch tiny heartbeat. Eteri understand. Come."

I didn't like the thick scent of anger in the air, I'd rather see the mischievous one return, and we sure as hell weren't going to get it eating boring ass dry rations. "No mad, follow." I said as I tugged on his jacket, pulling him toward the town.

"Special delivery I do, first we fun have, nya?"

[Venex Apara]

Ven had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself. His vision was red, and he was oh so very angry. He remembered yelling obscenities, switching between languages rapid fire. Tradespeak, Elven, Draconic, Dwarven, and a few other words in other languages he couldn’t remember, or recall, off the top of his head.

Only getting the watch back was able to cause the anger to quell. He took a few moment to collect himself, then looked at Eteri in a serious way. “Look,” he said calmly and neutrally, “You seem interesting, and I think I can enjoy hanging out with you but,” he paused for a fraction of a second, mind subconsciously switching to Akashimian to provide the clearest message, <”Don’t touch that ever again, not without me giving you permission. I care about that deeply… I’ll forgive you this time because you didn’t know, but that is your only warning.” >

Ven then took a step back, cleared his throat, then let a smile come to his face again. Switching back to Tradespeak, he went on. “Sorry about whatever I may had said. I don’t like that feeling, way to icky for my liking. I prefer this," he said, making a general gesture torwards Eteri and himself. “Happiness, adventure, fun, the good feelings. That is me.”

He then smiled mischievously once again, “I think I shall take you up on that offer of fun Blue-bell.” He then extended his hand out for a handshake. “The name is Venex Apara, but you can call me Ven, and I would be happy to be your partner in fun.”

[Eteri]

I scratched my head, feeling a little lost. He was all over the place, more so than me and that said something. "Mmmm..." my tail swished side to side as I stared at the man who called himself Venex Apa-whatever. Why did he say he wanted to be my partner? Was he asking me out?

"Don't know you, not well enough for partners." I said as I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "IN future. Maybe. I want soul first. If want naked fun, not right time."

Something like relationships never really occurred to me, I wasn't sure if I was even capable of being in one. I felt a brief pang of sadness as I let my mind dwell on that fact. Everyone around me had these vibrant and pulsating souls. Heck, even the trees had them. I stared down at my own hands, ears drooping slightly. When I stare at my hands, at my reflection. I see nothing. I had nothing. It was why I was so damn determined to make my own, and finally...I had a base for that, a snippet of Takas. I clenched my hands and gave my head a small shake, I wasn't going to let those thoughts get to me.

<"You speak Akashimian?"> I asked in my native tongue, distracting myself from the negative thoughts. I offered him a grin, <"Lets play a game! Whoever collects the most shinies in 1 hour shall buy the other all the drinks Radasanth has to offer! Yes? Yes!?"> I asked excitedly, clasping my hands together.

[Venex Apara]

Ven blinked in confusion. Naked fun?he asked himself. What was-

Wait.

Was she implying-

She totally was!

Ven looked at Eteri again, taking in her physical appearance truly for the first time, and and he was not disappointed. Her apparel clung to her, accenting Eteri's personality (the blues, so much blue), but it also left little for the imagination. In fact, apply a little imagination and...

Ven blinked again, then looked away while his face became red. Yeah, he was ending that thought, he must end the thought, before he his body reacted in a way he'd regret.

Ven scratched the back of his head, then looked back at Eteri, refusing to let his eyes wonder. Switching back to Eteri's native language, he tried to carry on the conversation.

<"Akashimian? Is that what this language is called? You learn new things everyday. Yes, I speak Akashimian... technically. But more of that later. I'm going to rectify an issue. I asked you if you wanted to be my partner, not my partner. I'm uhh... flattered you considered it, but I dont want to sex with you. Not saying I wouldn't, because you're a very beautiful lady who seems amazing but-", he rambled off quickly, still flustered and unsure how to handel a situation like this.

Instead, he took the out Eteri left. "I- uhh- Weeeell... Yeah. Bet. I'll accept that bet. But not all the drinks, my coin count is not nearly high enough for that.">

[Eteri]

<"Akashimian...you speak Akashimian, but do not know what it is called? I-"> I stopped as he insisted that he would explain later. HE seemed frazzled.


My ears flicked side to side as I tilted my head, offering Ven a rather confused look. He went red in the face, very red. I grinned as I pinched his cheeks. "Look at you! Why so red?" I wasn't an idiot, he was clearly embarrassed, unfortunately, I wasn't entirely sure why. Was it something I had said? His eyes danced over my attire, was it my outfit? I guess it was a little revealing for some, I never personally understood modesty. Why cover up your body with nasty clothes? All they did was impede movement, the only time I embraced them were in places like Salvar.

My thoughts had wandered as he rambled, I tried to focus on what he was saying, finally, it dawned on me. "Ah! You Virgin!" I cried out in delight. I felt proud of myself, damn proud. Ven jumped at the term, taking a few feet back as he pulled his arm up to scratch the back of his head. His gaze turned away from me, and he mumbled something in response.

"I right. Yes?" I said, my tone extruding the pride I felt. "It ok." I breached the gap and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You handsome, you do good one day." I wanted to console him, but the action only seemed to cause him more ire. Of course, that only made me want to tease him more. I grinned, my eyes narrowing in sheer delight.

"Oh~Kay~~" I purred as I stepped in closer, pressing myself against him as I looped my hands around his neck. "If Eteri win, you get ALL drinks. If Ven win, Eteri will do anything. You get one!" I held up a single clawed finger. "One ask, Eteri do whatever it is. Yes!" I purred as I nuzzled into his neck. "We go now!" I continued before pushing him back, he stumbled back with a look of shock on his face.

"Nyar!" I replied, sticking my tongue out at him before turning and running into the bustling town of Radasanth.


Our little game has started.

[Venex Apara]

Ven watched Eteri as she ran off, no doubt getting ready to steal all sorts of shiny objects, money, and knick-knacks from unsuspecting persons. And what a bad day they were going to have when they realize they had be stolen from. I mean, then again, if they were just carrying the valuables and they were stolen from so easily, then they had it coming. Maybe that would teach them from being blasé faire about their valuables! It’s not fun if it’s too easy. Gods, everyone should know that! No challenge decreases the fun factor!

Aaaaaand by sitting here, having this internal monologue, Eteri disappeared into the city, and Ven was by himself by himself once again.

Ven pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. A little under an hour to collect and or steal as much as he could. Ok, he could do this. All he had to do was out steal a cat person who probably has way more experience nabbing things than he, and while said person also had a head start. Easy enough.

Ven smiled, putting his pocket watch away. He could totally do this! His money was on the line damn it!

…

Shit, he was screwed. Why did he accept this bet? His poor coin purse! What could he do? He had to think of a way out of this. He probably might be able to steal enough to win, but that risked the city guard coming down on him, something he wasn’t to interested in doing. The challenge was intriguing, and he wanted to try, but he also had a sense of self preservation, however small it may be.

Think Ven, what to do?

Ven struck a thinking pose. And he thought. And he thought some more. Several minutes passed…

And then he smiled. He had a plan. He had plans! As a good prankster should, because a prankster without a plan is hardly a good prankster at all. First step, steal something. He needed to at least put some effort into making the bet, for angry women are scary when angry- his mother being a prime example- and he didn’t know how Eteri would react if he didn’t try at all.

Thus he stepped into the city.

So it begins.